Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B10258
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The mystery of the two ivntos Presbyterian and independent. Or, The serpent in the bosome vnfolded.
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Walker, Clement, 1595-1651.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing W332A; ESTC R235062
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15,370
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28
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putting down of Arbitrary Government and re-establishing our lawes liberties and properties whereto the Parliament by their many Declarations and their Nationall Covenant are bound Lay this to heart and consider whether they have not changed these their first principles and consequently whether they are not desirous to change their old friends who resolutely adhere to the said principles 2. If the King grant the Propositions or if he deny them and the predominant Juncto for both Juncto's joyned in one for this is probable to drive on one common interest establish the military and civill power without him according to their desires and in order to their aymes Quaere whether the said leading men setled in their postures with their confident Guards about them may not draw after them so many of their party as upon an implicite faith will follow them and lick up the crums of the publicke spoyles under their Tables expelling or disabling as aforesaid the dis-ingaged members and by this policy make themselves perpetuall Dictators incorporating and ingrossing to themselves both the Consultive Directive and Ministeriall power of the Kingdome in all causes Civil and Military setting up an Oligarchy or popular Tyranny in stead of a Regall As the thirty Tyrants of Athens did In order whereto they already declare 1. That an Ordinance of Parliament without the Kings Royall assent is equall to an Act of Parliament 2. That an Ordinance is above a Law by vertue of their Legislative power upon which presuming in their Ordinance of Indempnity they have granted an Appeale from the Judges of the Law to a Committee of Parliament See the Ordinance May 21. 1647. 3. That they are the Irrevocable Trustees of the peoples lawes liberties and properties without account with other principles preparative to Tyranny 3. Quaere Why Arbitrary and Barbarous Government by Cōmittees and other Illegall proceedings which in time of war were used upon Reall or pretended necessitie were then only excusable because necessitas tollit Legem are still continued upon us now in time of peace no enemies troubling our quiet and without any further pretence of necessitie Contrary to their Nationall Covenant and all their Declarations Is it not to inure the People to servitude and ever use their patience 4. Quaere Whether the Prodigious oppressions of Committees Sequestrators c. and of free Quarter be not purposely countenanced to necessitate the people to rise in tumults that thence occasion may be taken to keepe in-land Garrisons and Armies 5. Quaere Whether our lawes liberties and properties are not now as lyable to an Invasion from the Legis-lative power as formerly from the Prerogative Considering that those who like ambitious Absolom courted and wooed the people in the beginning of troubles now like haughtie Rehoboams care not though the people complaine Their little finger is heavier then the loynes of the King the controversie betweene the two Juncto's being no more then whose slaves wee shall be If the middle and dis-ingaged men in the House do not speedily unite themselves into a party or Juncto as the Factious have done 23. Middle and Moderate members againe and communicate their counsels they will be arena sine calce loose sand dissipated by every breath and neither serviceable for themselves nor their Countrey Whereas if they unite twentie or thirty may become Moderators and Umpeers between both parties as hath beene already said Let the moderate men but consider how sad and dishonourable a thing it is to see nothing almost of great and publique concernment come into the House but what hath bin before hand contrived debated and digested in one or both of the two Juncto's at their private meetings and put into so resolved and prejudicate a way and method of dispatch that every man is appointed his part or Cue before-hand One man to move it and set it on foot another to second him One man to speake to one part of the argument another to another part another to keepe himselfe to the last for a reserve and speake to the question which he is provided to qualifie with a distinction or vary it if he find it difficult to passe Thus all publique businesses are measured by private respects wherby it appears that as frequent Parl. are good physick so continuall Parl. are bad food the people may complain that qui medice vivit misere vivit Parliaments are Bona peritura they cannot keepe long without Corruption Their perpetuitie emboldens the members by taking from them all feare of being called to account Especially if they get their sonnes into the House as well as themselves as many have done this Parliament and more endeavour to do whereby they have an estate in their places for two or three lives Moreover by long sitting they become so familiar with one anothers persons and designes as to serve one anothers turnes to joyn interest and to draw into Factions Hodie mihi cras tibi If you and your partie will helpe me to day I and my friend will helpe you to morrow 24. Conclusion with some complaints Miserima Resp ubi majestas Imperii salus populi discordibus conflictantur studiis What shall we say En quo discordia tetra perduxit miseros Shall we complaine to God God hath a controversie with us Of whom shall we complaine of our selves we must first reforme our selves we that take upon us to reforme Church and Common-wealth Shall we complaine of our sinnes aske the grace of repentance first and so aske that we may obtaine Shall we complaine of our punishments let us first repent and amend our sins that caused them Let us first pluck off the maske of hypocrisie God will see through such a fantasticall garment of Fig-leaves Let us no longer make Religion a stalking-horse God who is all Wisedome and all Truth will not be deceived If we talke like Christians and live like Turks Christ will not owne us To fast for a day and hang our heads like bulrushes will not reconcile us We must fast from publique spoiles rapines and oppression and not drink the teares of the poore and needy Shall we complaine with the Prophet That our Princes are become Theeves that was heretofore our complaint now we must invert it and cry That our Theeves meane and base people are become Princes We are sick very sick intemperately sick and God hath given us a Physitian in his wrath a Leper as white as snow fitter to infect then cure us What Physick doth hee prescribe Poyson What dyet Stones instead of bread Scorpions instead of fishes hard fare for them that formerly fed so daintily Before I conclude let me give you the pedegree of our Miseries and of their Remedies A long peace begat Plenty Plenty begat Pride and her sister Riot Pride begot Ambition Ambition begot Faction Faction begot Civill War And if our eviils be not incurable if we be not falne in id temporis quo nec vitia nostra nec corum remedia ferre possumus our War will beget Poverty Poverty Humility Humility Peace againe Sic rerum revertentibus vicibus annulus vertitur Politicus The declining spoake of the Wheele will rise againe But we are not yet sufficiently Humbled we have not repented with Nineveh We weare Silkes and Velvets instead of sack-cloath and ashes even the meanest upstart hath his thefts writ upon his back by his Taylor in proud Characters of Gold-lace we have not watered our Couch with our Teares but with adulterous sweat Look to it therefore ye state Incubi that by an incestuous copulation have begot plenty upon Warre and filled your houses with the spoyle and plunder of your deare Countrey an inundation of bloud and of the tears of the oppressed will wash away the foundation of your houses And peace will be farre from you in this world but especially that peace which the world cannot give And because Salamander-like you delight in the fire of contention an unquenchable fire will be your lot hereafter And though you escape all accounts here yet upon the great day of account when you shall receive your sentence of condemnation those your children for whose preferment you fell your soules your God for gold shall not shew so much thankfulnesse or pitty towards you as to say alas our father But your hearts are hardned with Pharaoh I leave you therefore to Pharaoh's destiny to be drowned in your owne Red Sea as he was in his Thus farre I adventured to vindicate our Religion Lawes 25. Resolution and scope o◠the Author and Liberties with my pen in discharge of my Conscience and pursuance of our Nationall Covenant which obligeth us to defend them against whosoever to our power neither knowing nor caring whether in so wicked an age wherein vice is honoured and vertue contemned I may be thought worthy of punishment for being more righteous then my superiors I know an honest man is wondred at like a monster and the innocency of his life and conversation suspected as a Libell against the State yet if I perish I perish pereundum in licitis Nor am I lesse provided of a safe retreat then our Grandees My grave is open for me and one foot in it already Contempsit omnes ille qui mortem prius He that contemnes death scornes both Hope and Feare which are the only affections that make Knaves Fooles and Cowards of all the world The world is a goodly Theater we the Actors God is both Poet and chiefe spectator We must not choose our owne parts that is at Gods appointment One man he appoints to play the King another the Begger one a Comick another a Tragick part Whatsoever part God hath appointed for me in this remainder of my life I will have a care to personate it ingenuously and aptly Not doubting but my Exit shall be accompained with an applause into my tyring Roome my Tomb nor will I refuse the meanest part that may draw a plaudit from so excellent a spectator but will prepare my selfe for the worst of evills in this worst of times and pray to God to reforme our Reformers Amen THE END